270 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 93 



PTEROGLOSSUS TORQUATUS TORQUATUS (Gmelin) 



Ramphastos torquatus Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 354 (Central 

 America 28 ). 



Near Tres Zapotes, the Aracari toucan was uncommon, but on the 

 lower slopes of the Tuxtla Mountains Carriker found it in greater 

 abundance. Our specimens were taken on April 5, 1939, and Febru- 

 ary 22 and 24 and May 6, 1940, the last being the only one obtained 

 on the mountain. On April 5 one flew past me into open woodland 

 on the Cerro Nestepe, which is really in the foothills of the mountains. 

 I followed and shot it and immediately thereafter secured a pair. 

 These birds were at the opening of the breeding season. On April 8 

 I found others nearer Tres Zapotes, feeding on fruits in an open tree 

 at the edge of monte. They were seen in small groups of four or five, 

 flying and moving about with greater celerity and much less awk- 

 wardly than the larger toucans. They utter harsh, rattling calls that 

 can be heard for some distance. 



The iris is clear yellow, except that bordering the round pupil to- 

 ward the inner and outer canthi of the eye there is a slight area of black 

 that merges into the black of the pupil, so that it can be detected only 

 on careful examination in good light. This gives the pupillar open- 

 ing an oblong appearance, while in reality it is round. 



RAMPHASTOS SULFURATUS SULFURATUS Lesson 



Ramphastos sulfuratus Lesson, Traite d'ornithologie, pt. 3, July 1S30, p. 173 

 (Mexico). 



The large toucan was uncommon but not rare, being seen occa- 

 sionally through the forested areas east of Tres Zapotes, near 

 Hueyapa, and up to 2,000 feet elevation on the Sierra de Tuxtla. 

 They were usually found resting in the very tops of the taller trees, 

 where occasionally they called for long periods without moving, 

 except to swing the huge bill about. They were known locally as the 

 pico canoa. Carriker secured five specimens near Tres Zapotes on 

 March 4, 18, and 27, 1940. 



Peters 29 has shown that Ramphastos piscivorus of Linnaeus, long 

 current as the name for this bird, is a composite, hopeless to identify. 

 The species therefore takes the next name available, sulfuratus of 

 Lesson. 



58 Designated by Cory, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., vol. 13, pt. 2, No. 2, 1919, 

 p. 368. Peters, Bull. Mus. Corap. ZoOl., vol. 69, 1929, p. 436, has listed the type locality as 

 southeastern Mexico. 



20 Auk, 1930, pp. 406-407. 



